Photoshop Tip: Edit images in Adobe Camera Raw

Adobe Camera Raw contains many editing adjustments and effects all in one place, and works with Smart Objects, making it a vital part of the photography workflow

What’s Adobe Camera Raw you may be wondering? ACR, as it’s abbreviated, is mainly used to edit Raw photos that come out high-spec cameras, and means you can edit to a high degree without losing original image quality.

But it doesn’t stop with Raw photos, as you can upload Jpegs (and Tiffs too) into ACR from Bridge.

Open in Bridge

Bridge is installed with Photoshop as default, and can be opened from the File menu by clicking on Browse in Bridge.

Finding ACR in Bridge

When Bridge has opened up you can search through all your photos on your computer. Find the one you want to edit and then Ctrl/right-click on it to see the option Open in Camera Raw.

Editing Jpeg and Tiff images in ACR

It’s true to say ACR is designed for Raw photo editing, but hey, let’s not let that stand in our way! Jpeg and Tiff images can also be edited, with the advantages that ACR sofware gives you. This includes split-toning for a dousing of colour in the highlights and shadows in your image.

ACR is basically an image editor in its own right, allowing you to sharpen, adjust the tonal range and correct lens distortion without the need to open up multiple menus and filters.

By clicking on the blue text underneath your image you can choose to open it as a Smart Object. This means you can re-edit the image at any point once in Photoshop, taking you back into ACR.